April 23 was a historical day in Pakistan’s electoral history wherein 190 million Pakistanis cast their votes for a single constituency — NA-246 in Karachi. Though it was a routine by-election after vacating of a National Assembly seat, but was made strategically important for many — for MQM who views the recent crackdown on its supporters as biased and heavy-handed, for establishment who wishes to thrust its whims by doctoring a solution for Karachi woes, for media who got a chance to return-in-kind the way MQM used to treat it before the crackdown, for general public especially in Punjab who denounce MQM for promoting ethnic-based politics thus working outside the hegemony of ‘national spirit and interest’.
But the voters of NA-246 refused to go by the establishment line to say final bye to MQM in this by-election. MQM thumped back with almost same majority it garnered in 2013 and earlier elections. And all this happened under an unprecedented electoral environment — CCTV cameras installed in all polling stations, 7,000 plus paramilitary soldiers and policemen deputed, Rangers scrutinising voters at every stage to stop bogus voting, pillion-riding banned, heavy traffic stopped from passing through the constituency, ballot papers were printed and transported under Rangers supervision. Never such arrangements ever made even for general elections, let alone a routine by-election. Why, because this election was considered as a milestone to achieve a goal — promote establishment’s ‘B’ teams in Karachi. But all these steps — early morning raids on MQM offices, confession statements from death cells, publication of MQM workers’ alleged confessions before presenting these in a court of law, unprecedented arrangements to avoid fake votes, failed to root out MQM from Karachi.
But it’s time for many to learn lessons from this election — MQM needs to start introspection process to come clean on violence-related and extortion allegations. MQM needs to realise that it can’t depend on ‘sympathy’ votes all the time, shall work hard to solve city’ major issues — absence of mass transport, water supply and management, deteriorating municipal services, worsening law and order situation. For establishment it’s a clear message — two plus two is always four, city dynamics and grievances need to be understood before discarding political solutions. For media, revenge behaviour, as was evident from 100s of talk shows denouncing MQM, will not help to articulate required results of the election. For ruling PPP, it’s a reminder that by delaying the Local Governments process, it’s harming any support if ever left in cities in Sindh for PPP. For the runner up in this election, PTI — elections are not contested on Twitter and Facebook; be a field party to prove your worth.
Though MQM’s victory was quite certain but a ‘state of denial’ mentality created such a media hype.
Let’s come out of this hype and concentrate on some other really big issues. We have a country of 190 million people to take care of; not an urban constituency of only 0.3 million voters!
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia